NAS HDD hibernation - yes or no?

[wwwampy]

A popular question, just wondering what you guys think.

Currently, I have it set to 20 min (default). Is it ok? Does this on/off cycles hurt drives?

 

[Rusty]

A popular question, just wondering what you guys think.

Currently, I have it set to 20 min (default). Is it ok? Does this on/off cycles hurt drives?

Considering that a lot of services wake up from hibernation these days I have 0 use for it

 

[iStone]

for me hibernation is to:
1. Security
2. Kill noise
3. save energy

One thing I hate is, so many mysterious processes running there I don't know what they are doing? Sending my personal data, location, user statistics etc. to Synology?
Many times at night while watching TV and no one access NAS, the NAS is quite noisy doing something... I unplug the LAN cable, all quiet!! That's fine, nobody is accessing NAS.

and now I always set hibernation to 10min, most of time it is quiet and unnoticeable there.
...and at nights I even set to power it auto off and in the morning power on.

 

[wwwampy]

Hm, I can see that my external drive connected to my NAS woke up from hibernation every 20-25 minutes.

I have this ext drive only for backup once a week. Is there any way I can turn it off and turn it on only before the backup begins? I'd like to have it automatically, of course.

 

[WST16]

for me hibernation is to:
1. Security

How?!

 

[Telos]

Is there any way I can turn it off and turn it on only before the backup begins? I'd like to have it automatically, of course.

I've heard of folks using a basic wall socket timer.

 

[jeyare]

I have this ext drive only for backup once a week. Is there any way I can turn it off and turn it on only before the backup begins? I'd like to have it automatically, of course.

to be sure - are you looking for an automated start and shutdow of the external disk (not for the NAS)?

A. If yes, what is primary connection bus between the external disk and your NAS:

• USB - use Telos approach
• eSATA - same as fo USB
• Ethernet - if the external box supports Wake on Lan, try this one - link. Not tested, but sounds reasonable.

B. If no, then are you looking for the NAS automated switch on/off?
Then Control panel/Hardware and Power/Power schedule

 

[wwwampy]

Yes, I'm looking something for external disk. Actually, wall socket timer sounds good.

Thanks.

 

[jeyare]

Yes, I'm looking something for external nas. Actually, wall socket timer sounds good.

Thanks.

External disk or second NAS?

 

[wwwampy]

External disk or second NAS?

Ah, disk, sorry. I've edited the above post.

 

[tb123]

Might help Question - Are you a full time spinner?

 

[WST16]

wall socket timer sounds good.

But wouldn’t “killing” the power like that without ejecting the disk first might cause problems?
I know that the DS will complain about it at least. Maybe you’ll need to come up with a scheduled script to eject it first before the timer kicks in and kills the power.

 

[wwwampy]

But wouldn’t “killing” the power like that without ejecting the disk first might cause problems?

Actually, that's what I've seen later, yes.

I know that the DS will complain about it at least.

Yes, it's complaining.

Maybe you’ll need to come up with a scheduled script to eject it first before the timer kicks in and kills the power.

That would be ideal, but... Hm... Not sure how to do it.

 

[WST16]

Not sure how to do it.

Makes two of us
You’ll need a scripts guru. The Scriptinator man, who goes around and saves people by writing scripts. Where is he?!

 

[fredbert]

While I'd not be a fan of using a kill switch (timer switch) for a USB disk doesn't Hyper Backup have a setting to unmount/eject the disk at the end of the task?

So long as you don't use the disk for anything else but this backup task then the disk should be in a quiet state after HBup unmounts it. The timer switch could be set to turn off well after the end of the expected task run and then on again before the task.

I wrote a Launch Agent and script for Mac to mount and unmount disks based on a cron-style time schedule ... that need has long since passed but I still use it manually to unmount my backup disks when I login.

 

[WST16]

I second what @fredbert said. Looks like you’ve created an unnecessary problem for yourself.

 

[fredbert]

I'm a great advocate for over-engineering a simple solution to a problem, so if you want to think about scripting something, this is the script I wrote for the Mac.

And since this hibernation question was asked: I've gone and disabled it on my NAS and Mac. I find older kit likes to hum along and not do anything dramatic.

 

[WST16]

this is the script I wrote for the Mac.

YOU are the Scriptinator man. Your secret identity is Snoopy. Nice one.

 

[wwwampy]

Understand. Timer switch was not a good idea. I'll just leave that ext HDD on. No problem, actually.

Thank you for your thoughts.

 

[Telos]

But wouldn’t “killing” the power like that without ejecting the disk first might cause problems?

I manually power off my HDD dock. Never have had a problem. Sure, the NAS emails me that the USB has mysteriously gone off like, but no biggie.

Not saying this is perfect, but it shouldn't be a problem unless you power off in the middle of a sync/backup using the USB drive.